Norwich landlord licensing consultation: who would need a licence?

Norwich is consulting on selective licensing in four wards and additional licensing for smaller HMOs across the city; neither scheme has been approved. Landlords can respond until 24 January 2027, and the council says any approved scheme would start no earlier than late summer 2027 (2 November announcement).

The practical job now is to check which proposal covers each address, read the proposed fees and conditions, and give evidence before the consultation closes. This guide reflects the documents available on 3 November 2026.

Which homes would Norwich selective licensing cover?

The proposed selective scheme covers privately rented homes in Nelson, Mile Cross, Sewell and Town Close, subject to exemptions. A property already covered by mandatory or additional HMO licensing would not need a separate selective licence, according to the council's consultation FAQs.

That means an ordinary family let could fall within the proposal. Check the actual boundary maps on Get Talking Norwich, rather than relying on the neighbourhood name in a letting advert. Keep the ward and licensing check with the property's records.

The power comes from section 80 of the Housing Act 2004. For the wider decision process, use our guide to whether you need a landlord licence; Padlord's council licensing hub covers other selected councils.

Would Norwich HMO licensing catch a three-person house share?

Yes, the additional licensing proposal covers HMOs occupied by three or four people in two or more households sharing facilities, anywhere in Norwich. The consultation summary describes the citywide proposal; the designation power is in section 56.

Use this quick self-check:

1. Count people and households. Three unrelated friends sharing a kitchen are three households; a family is normally one. Three bedrooms alone do not establish an HMO.
2. Check whether mandatory licensing already applies. An HMO with five or more occupiers from at least two households sharing facilities generally needs a licence now. The GOV.UK HMO guide explains the test; do not wait for this consultation.
3. Check the ward if the home is outside HMO licensing. The selective proposal may still cover it.

These are screening questions. Ask the council about exemptions or an unusual conversion before treating the answer as settled.

What fees and discounts are proposed?

The proposed standard fee is £1,000 per additional HMO licence or £700 per selective licence, with licences normally granted for up to five years. Appendix 8, the fee schedule, splits payment as follows:

Part B would fall by £25 for each qualifying discount: membership of an approved accreditation scheme requiring continuing professional development, and a valid EPC rated A, B or C supplied with the application. Both together would reduce the totals to £950 and £650 respectively. The published schedule contains no early-bird discount.

These are consultation figures, not an invoice or final tariff. Appendix 8 says fees may change after consultation and financial review, and Part A becomes non-refundable once an application has been received and assessed.

Illustrative budget: two selective licences and one additional HMO licence, all qualifying for both discounts, would cost (2 × £650) + £950 = £2,250. Spread over three full five-year licences, that is £450 a year across the portfolio. Payment would still follow Parts A and B, not annual instalments; repairs and national registration are extra.

What conditions would landlords have to meet?

The draft conditions cover tenancy management and safety, with extra HMO requirements, but the council has not settled the final conditions. Read the document for the relevant scheme.

Appendix 5, selective licensing, includes written occupation terms, tenant references, an annual gas safety certificate where gas is supplied, safe electrical installations and supplied appliances, and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms where required.

Appendix 4, additional HMO licensing, also addresses room sizes, maximum occupation, waste and recycling, external areas and antisocial behaviour. Its waste provisions specify collection-day arrangements. Its antisocial behaviour wording expects reasonable, practicable action within a landlord's lawful powers, not a guarantee that incidents will never happen.

Both documents warn that the conditions are illustrative. Do not assume the HMO waste and antisocial behaviour clauses are already proposed selective-licence conditions: the published selective draft lists the mandatory conditions, with any additional conditions still to be decided.

How can you respond to the Norwich landlord licensing consultation?

Complete the consultation questionnaire by 24 January 2027. The summary document also gives NorwichPRS@melresearch.co.uk for views and 0800 073 0348 for telephone contact; consultation enquiries can go to dlconsultation@norwich.gov.uk.

A useful landlord response separates the two schemes and identifies the evidence behind each point:

• Property evidence: ward, occupancy, inspection history and dated repair or complaint records, without unnecessary tenant details.
• Conditions: which requirements are workable, which need clearer wording, and the practical steps needed to comply.
• Fees: the proposed split, discount eligibility and administration costs you can substantiate.
• Alternatives and outcomes: how existing enforcement or accreditation could address the identified problems, and how the council should measure results.

For example, explain how a proposed waste collection requirement would work when a managing agent is off site, with a realistic alternative. Evidence is more useful than a general statement of support or opposition.

When could the schemes begin, and how does the national register fit?

Norwich expects a cabinet report in spring 2027 and says an approved scheme would not begin before late summer 2027. The national register has its own timetable.

Local timings come from the council announcement. The registration window is the planned timetable in GOV.UK's landlord guidance, published on 29 October 2026.

Registration does not replace local licensing. The government's explanation to Parliament's scrutiny committee confirms their different purposes. Our guides to selective licensing and the PRS database and using the registration service cover the separate processes.

What happens if a scheme is approved?

Landlords with properties in scope would need to apply for the relevant property licence and meet its conditions. Save the final designation, application instructions, fee schedule and commencement date when published; a consultation response is not an application.

Controlling or managing a property that needs a licence without one can be an offence under section 72 for HMOs or section 95 for selective licensing, subject to statutory defences. As at 3 November 2026, national guidance provides for prosecution or a civil penalty up to £40,000. The starting points are £17,000 for an unlicensed HMO and £12,000 for an unlicensed selective let, not automatic fines. Our landlord fines guide explains the adjustments.

A separate rent repayment order can recover up to two years' rent under the rules applying to offences from 1 May 2026 (government guidance). Neither maximum means it is automatically payable.

Padlord lets you record a property's licence type, issuing council and expiry date. For now, record the consultation deadline and check each address before budgeting for a final scheme.

General information as at 3 November 2026, not financial or legal advice.